I usually don’t like games with too much luck, because I want to feel like I am actually in control, but Dungeonquest is a game I don’t mind being at the mercy of the dice.
I had no expectations when I purchased it, as I really only bought it to get the hero figures and stat cards to use with Runewars (which i love. And yes I am quite the dork, I am aware), but I was pleasantly surprised by this game. It is not deep, and can be frustrating if you die on your second turn, but man, is it fun. You randomly flip tiles as you explore and draw cards from various decks which may be treasures helpful items or creatures to fight. It’s quite the random, chaotic game, but still fun, I say again. Basically you try to make it out of the dungeon with the most treasure, ALIVE. That is the key word here. Death lurks around every corner, and sometimes it’s just instant death. Nothing you could’ve done to stop it. I heard someone say this game is like a slasher film, it’s not deep, but it’s a thrilling ride while it lasts.
The randomness will be a turnoff for some, but it plays quick, most games last 1/2 hour to 45 min, so I say give it a shot, and don’t be expecting Descent style dungeon crawling, and just enjoy it for what it is.

I was anxious to get my copy of Merchants and Marauders to the table and teach my son how to play, because I was 98% sure he would love it. I had played once before , with a friends copy, and totally fell in love with it, and i have had my copy sitting around for a few months, so while on our camping getaway, we had some unseasonably cool weather for the end of June, so we spent about 7 hours cooped up in the trailer and played 3 games of Merchants. And I was right, my son totally loved it also and kept wanting to play again. Merchants and Marauders (MAM) is a refreshing change in my game collection. I have a lot of euros which require a certain strategy to win, but not really any adventure games which feel open ended. Thats what MAM feels like to me, an adventure. You can be a pirate or a merchant or a little of both dependiong on circumstances in the game.
A quick rundown. You play the role of a captain and can buy and deliver goods for money, complete missions, find out whether rumours are true, raid merchant ships, hunt down pirates, attack and board naval vessels all for money and/ or Glory points. Be the first to get 10 glory points and you win. Simple. First off, the game looks amazing. It’s a full size board showing the carribean, complete with little plastic, highly detailed ships, from the lowly but speedy sloop, the standard frigate to the mighty Galleons. It’s a sight to behold, when a game is in session, lots of eye candy for the ameritrasher in us. There are hundreds of cards also (fantasy flight mini size) : Events, rumours, missions, captains, ships, glory and cargo cards which means each game will play differently. The rules are somewhat lengthy and it takes a while to teach because of the variety of things you may do on your turn, (mostly port actions mind you), upgrade your ship, sell goods, buy goods, take on a mission, repair your ship, attempt a merchant raid, but after the first few turns, it begins to click. It helps that each player is supplied with a large, double sided reference sheet that has essentially everything you need to know to play. Definitely handy, and well laid out. Naval combat is a little difficult to get the hang of, but again after your fist few naval engagements it clicks and then it becomes quite an engaging experience as you try to plan your moves and play your cards right so that your little flute, with only one damage point left on its hull, might just be able to take out that galleon because of a bold boarding move and your captains outstanding leadership coupled with the perfect glory card. Great and memorable stuff. As I said, my son absolutely got right into it and didn’t want to stop. It scales well with 2-4 people, although with 4 there will likely be more player vs player cutthroat action.

I have played a few times and absolutely love this “little” game. I say little because it seems so unassuming, in a smallish box, no flashy components, no real gameboard except the tiny auction board, and yet there is a surprising amount of depth to this game. The choices can instill analysis paralysis in some gamers easily right from the get go. I have not mastered this game at all, and each time have tried varying staregies with differing success. What I also love is that it plays so quickly. We generally finish in just over an hour, which I always find astounding because of the depth and number of decisions to make, as well I always love auctions in a game because it adds that unpredictable element that can vary a lot from game to game, depending on your group.
Overall, I really love this game. There is a reprint coming shortly, so if you missed it first time around, be sure to check it out, (considering the reprint should have substantially improved component quality, i cobnsider this a must buy)

enjoy.

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About Me

Have been playing games for about 5 years. Some of my faves are: Railroad Tycoon, Brass, Agricola, Le Havre, Runewars, Mechant and Marauders, and Endeavor.